Reclaiming the Game

First Person

From the time of his appointment as executive director of the newly formed NHL Players Association in 1967, Alan Eagleson essentially ran the organization unchecked. That is, until the mid-1990s, when hardnosed former defenceman Carl Brewer called into question the dealings of Eagleson and the union. Several other ex-NHLers, including Gordie Howe, joined Brewer in complaining about missing benefits, and Eagleson was charged with skimming money from the players' pension and disability funds. Eagleson eventually pleaded guilty to fraud in 1998 and had his name removed from the Hockey Hall of Fame.